One Night
by HopeGoodness
Summary: Hermione finds out Ron cheating on her and turns to Draco for support. My first oneshot, please review! Constructive Criticism welcome!


**One Night**

**By: HopeGoodness**

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!?" screeched the unbelievably angry Head Girl.

"Hermione! I…I can explain!" stammered a red – faced Ron.

"Explain what? I think it's pretty clear as to what is going on here without your explanation! How long has this….affair been going on? How long have you been cheating on me?"

"Hermione…please….just please….let me explain! I never…." Ron started, but was cut off by Hermione.

"Shut up, Ron. Just stop. Be honest and tell me this….how long has it been going on for?"

"Al….All year…but I've always wanted to stop! I just…"

"ALL YEAR! ALL THROUGHOUT THE BLOODY YEAR!? EVER SINCE WE STARTED DATING!" Hermione then dropped her voice and her face softened, "You know, you could have just told me that you didn't want to be with me anymore, Ron. I would've understood! Unlike you, I DON'T HAVE AN EMOTIONAL RANGE THE SIZE OF A TEASPOON!" She pushed Ron away and went to Lavender, his partner in crime, who was smirking throughout the entire exchange. "I hope you are happy, Lavender. You've got what you've always wanted, haven't you? You've broken me into pieces and destroyed my friendship with him. I just hope he doesn't cheat on you also!" She took one last look at the couple and ran from the classroom, away from her hurt, away from her past.

She had no idea where she was running to, but before she knew it, she was standing in front of the Head Dorms portrait.

"Trai…Traitor" she stammered, choking back tears. It was rather ironic that she had set that password with the Head Boy in mind, rather than her now former best friend and ex - boyfriend. The portrait swung open and she went in, but she never got past the common room.

Settling down by the fire, she pulled her legs up to her chest in a fetal position, and started crying. The tears that she had withheld in front of Ron now broke free of her dam and fell uncontrollably. She cried for her heart, for Ron, for Lavender, for Harry, for the Weasleys, for The War. She cried for everything, for everything she had held in, for every brave front she had put on. She had actually thought that she and Ron would last together, maybe even get married and have children. She thought that they understood each other perfectly, thought that they would be there for each other, after Harry's death. Harry had died, along with Voldemort the previous summer. Countless people had died from both sides. Numerous Death Eaters were now in Azkaban, awaiting their end. Hermione had lost both her parents, while Ron had lost half of his family. They had lent toward each other for support and one thing led to another, and before they knew it, they were dating. Hermione had truly been happy with Ron, for he made her forget about anything else. He had made her happy. Now, all was lost.

As she was crying, she didn't notice that the Head Boy had come downstairs from his dorm to get a drink of water. As Draco Malfoy stood watching the Head Girl cry her heart out, his heart went out to her. He had watched her go through so much, that it broke his heart to see her cry. He had fallen in love with the stubborn lioness, without his knowledge. He tried to be as quiet as possible, in order to give her privacy, but luck was not on his side. He stepped on the stair that creaked and Hermione looked up.

They stared at each other for a moment before Hermione let out a shriek and hastily wiped her eyes and stood up. Malfoy was the last person on earth she wanted to see. 'No,' she thought, 'second to last. Ron's the last person I want to see now.' Either way, she did not want _anyone_ to see her in this state, in her state of vulnerability. She prepared herself, mentally and emotionally, and for a safe measure, physically also, for the insults that were sure to be coming her way.

"Malfoy!" she acknowledged, "what do you think you are doing?!"

"Sorry…I..er…I needed a drink of water is all. I was going to leave you alone. Bloody stair creaked at the last moment," he stammered out.

Hermione was stunned. She knew that he had changed; he had helped the Order and made it possible for them to win. But she had never thought that he would stay changed. He was a Malfoy after all, they only save themselves.

"Did you just apologize to me? I'm the Mudblood remember?"

Malfoy winced at the word Mudblood. "That was my father's view, never mine. I've already apologized to the lot of you for my past behavior. I've had to put on that show only so that I could stay alive and keep my mother alive also. Now that he is dead, I've got nothing holding me back from being who I truly am."

Hermione was beyond words. She flinched when he talked about his father with no remorse whatsoever. She really did not think that he had actually changed. She thought that he only apologized so that he could survive. She also remembered that he had killed his father to _save her_. As Hermione was thinking, Draco had already gotten his water and was ready to go back upstairs, when she spoke again.

"Why?"

"Why what?" he asked, confused.

"Why did you save me? Why didn't you just let your father just kill me?"

"Because I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't stopped him," he said simply, as though it was obvious.

"But you didn't have to, didn't have to do anything you did last summer. You could've just gone into hiding and come back out when the war was over. You didn't have to help."

"I couldn't, Hermione. I couldn't stay in hiding with you fighting out there. I couldn't have been able to live if…if something had happened to you during the War."

"But…" Hermione started but was cut off and completely caught off guard when Draco asked his question.

"Why were you crying?" he asked, changing the subject.

"What?! We weren't talking about me! We were talking about you!"

"Yes, but I answered your question, now answer mine. Why were you crying?"

Hermione sighed. He had a point. He had opened himself up, now it was only fair that she did also.

"Ron cheated on me."

Draco was speechless. This was the last thing she needed now. He noticed that she had started crying again and was crying harder than before. Before he knew what he was doing, he had already reached out to her and was enfolding her in his arms, letting her cry into his chest. Surprisingly, she had let him.

Hermione had no idea as to why she had let him touch her, but after everything that had happened, she realized that she really needed someone to lean on and she let him enfold her and cried into his shirt. She felt one of his hands rub her back, while the other was on her head, supporting her as she sobbed her heart out. Suddenly she wished that he was hers, that they could stay like this forever. But as soon as this thought entered her head, she crushed it. He was just comforting her, she can't just jump into things like that.

Unknown to Hermione, Draco was wishing the same thing and crushing the thought, thinking that she just needed comfort and that he can't just take advantage of her. As her sobs quieted down, he started to talk.

"Ron's an asshole. He doesn't know what he has…had. He doesn't know what he has lost now. He doesn't deserve you. You deserve someone so much better than him, Hermione. You don't need him."

"How can I just forget about him, Draco? He was there for me at a time when no one else was. He made me happy! Maybe you are wrong. Maybe it's me who doesn't deserve him!"

"Don't you ever, even for a second, think like that! You are so much better than him. You're beautiful, smart, resourceful, and courageous. No one would ever be able to go the things you have and still be as strong as you are! It also helps that you've got one hell of a punch." Hermione let out a choked a laugh at the last statement, and Draco smiled. "You're perfect, Hermione and I love you." Draco gasped and shut his mouth, hoping against hope that she did not hear the last bit. He had only recently realized the fact that he loved her. He looked down, unable to meet her powerful gaze.

Hermione had pulled away and was staring at the man in front of her incredulously. "You love me?" she asked.

Draco realized he had to talk now, had to confess to her now, or he won't ever get a chance.

"Yes. Yes I do. I think I have for all my life, but I've only recently realized the fact. I'm sorry for all I've put you through, but, only lately, have I realized that I used to pick on you the most because it was only then did you ever pay any attention to me. And, I'm more than ever sorry for your losses. I stand by what I said before, Ron is an asshole. He doesn't deserve you, no one does. You are better than anyone else. But I want to be there for you, be with you for the rest of our lives." He paused and dared a look at her. She was watching him intently, taking in every word he was saying. He took a deep breath and continued, "I understand if you don't like me that way, or at all. I know I wouldn't. If you don't like me that way, then I'm extremely sorry for throwing all this at you and I hope, even after this, we can remain friends."

He waited for her to say something; anything but she just stood there, gaping at him. He sighed and started to turn back and leave.

Hermione was speechless, yet again. 'He loved me,' she thought. She studied him to make sure he was serious, before letting a goofy smile play on her lips. He _loved_ her, for Merlin's sake! As she determined what to say to him, she noticed that he was about to leave. Abandoning the words, she pulled him back and placed her lips on his.

He felt her pull him back, and before he could say anything, her lips were on his. He was exhilarated! She returned his feelings, all right. But he needed her to say that she did. So he pulled back and said, "I'll take it that you definitely return my feelings. You do, don't you?"

"Yes. Merlin's beard, Draco! I kissed you! I love you. I don't know why it took such a long time to realize this."

"Good. Good. I'm glad. Hermione, I want you to know that I don't want it seem like I'm taking advantage of you. I want you to know that you can have all the time you want to decide."

Hermione smiled. "Draco, I understand. But I want you to understand that I want to do this. I want you. I love you. And I forgive you for everything you've done. I love you, Draco. I have for a long time."

With that, they lent toward each other in a sensual kiss.

**10 years later….**

"What are you thinking about, love?" asked a tall, lean man with beach blond hair.

"Our first night together," answered his wife, a petite, brown haired woman with a heart shaped face.

Just then two 15 years old girls barged in on their parents, interrupting their father.

"Mum," said Lillian Malfoy "tell us about how you and dad confessed your love for each other."

"Yes, mum. Please?" begged Emily Malfoy, Lillian's twin, "do tell us!"

"Well," Draco Malfoy started.

"It goes like this…."Hermione Malfoy continued.

**THE END**

A/N: So? How was it? Good, Bad, Horrible? Please leave a review! Constructive criticism welcome. By the way, I'm not JK. Rowling, so none of the characters belong to me, except Lillian and Emily and the plot, of course. Also, the "emotional range the size of a teaspoon" quote is not mine. That also belongs to Ms. Rowling, I think. Again, please review!


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